Valve actuating mechanism



May 19, 1931. c. c. WILLIAMS VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM nucuoz C). XIII/'aims'.

I abbina/1?] f Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED SITA Tiss CAI-iVIN C. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Application led October 26, 1927. Serial No. 228,893.

This invention relates to an improved valve actuating mechanism of the general character disclosedin my Vco-pending application for a similar invention filed November 12, 1926, Serial bla-148,054 as well as a second application4 for a similar invention filed April 7, 1927, Serial No. 181,7 87.

The invention seeks among other objects, to provide a mechanism including a push rod incorporating a novel slip joint automatically operable to accommodate lengthening or shortening of the rod andwherein the spring employed for lengthening the rod will be of such expansive strength that the push rod will be properly lengthened during each cycle of the valve at high engine speeds. Y

The invention seeks, as a further object, to prevent freezing of the rollers of the slip joint such as would otherwise be occasioned by the use of a strong spring so that the push rod will be properly elongated and all looseness and'play between the parts taken up.

And theinvention seeks, as a still further object, to provide for` general increase in efiiciency as well as effect a reduction in the cost of manufacture and assembly.

` Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned in the foregoing will appear during the course of the following description. Y

In the accompanying drawings: y

Figure l is a vertical sectional view vshowing my'improved mechanism in connection with a conventional overhead valve, and Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, this view particularly showing the clutch rollers of the slip joint. o p 4 `Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a fixed 'tappet'guide at 10, and slidable through said guide is a tappet 11 operable by a cam shaft 12,the tappet being provided at its upper end with the customary axial recess 13. A conventional overhead valve of-an internal combustion engine is indicated at 14, andslidably supporting the valve is a cage 15, the valve being normally held closed `by a spring 16. Mounted to coact with the upper end ofthe valve stem is a rocker 17 carrying an adjustable ball 18, and formed to coact with said ball is a. socket 19.

In carrying the inventioninto effect, I employ a push rod embodying a female clutch member which includes a clutch cup 2() having a conical inner face 21. The cup is pro vided with a flat bottom wall 22 which rests flat against the upper end of the tappet 11, and surrounding the upper end of said cup is an overhanging flange 23. Surrounding said flange is an upstanding frusto-conical cap or housing 24 provided at its lower end with a channel member 25 tightly embracing the flange 23 for rigidly connecting the cap to Y the cup. Disposed within the clutch cup is a series of conical or longitudially tapered clutch rollers 26, and housed within the cap 24 is a tubular male clutch member 27 tapered at its lower end portion to provide a clutch cone 28 which rests within the series of rollers 26 to coact therewith, the clutch member being closed at its lower end by an end wall. The cap 24 is provided at its upper end with an end wall 29, and freely surrounding the clutch member 27 to rest against the larger upper ends of the rollers 26 is an annular follower 30 upturned at its peripheral margin to provide a spring seat. Resting at its lower end within said seat and at its upper end against the end wall 29 of the cap is a spring 31. Extending snugly through the bottom wall 22 of theclutch cup20 is a tubular axially disposed socket 32 which is removably received more or less freely within the recess 13 of the tappet 11. The socket member is closed at its lower end and formed on the upper end thereof is an annular flange 33 seat-ing against the innerface of the bottom wall 22 of the clutch cup for limiting the socket against outward displacement. Resting at its lower end against the bottom wall of the socket and at its upper end against the lower end wall of the clutch member 27 is a spring 34. In this connection, it should be observed that the spring 31 is of far less strength than the spring16 of the valve, while the spring 34 is of far less strength than the spring 31.

Extending freely through the top wall of the cap 24 of the vfemale clutch member a push rod element which is freely accommodated within the male clutch member 27 and is provided at its lower end with a taperedV terminal 36 snugly but removably fitting withinthe tapered clutch cone 28 of'said member, the male clutch member thus providlg. a Socket for said element. SnuglyA fitting over the element 35 at its upper end is a head 37 and, as will be observed, the socket 19 is shaped to snugly fit overV saidv head.

Freely surroundingthe rod element 35 is a l cap 38 frictionally fittingtightly'overthe up'- per end of the cap 24, and enclosed by the cap 38 is a felt or equivalent element 39 slid` Y ablylreceiving thepush rodA element there-y through. This felt vkis; preferably` saturated with oil which, during the'operation of the` mechanism-Will find itsy way into the slip V`joint for maintaining theparts lubricated.-

As will be observed, the male clutchmem` berQ/ and associated'fparts are enclosed by the female clutch member 20 and cap 24 t0 provide a permanentlyI assembled slip joint which is separate and,distinct.y According-YY ed at its;` lower end into the male clutch memtappet A'11 formaintaining the femaleclutch Y u l v stantially attheinstantthe pushrod ,element head 3z7 tocoact with the ball 18. As will be perceived, the socket-32 willcoact with the Vj memberinfalinementiwith'the tappet.,l

Before thejoint sfinstalled, the upperend.;

Y ofthe male c zlutchV member 2'?A is yheldby the v sprino 31` against thetopwall 29of1the cap;

Iowever, atlthe` time of installation'of 24. the mechanism, theball 18 is adjusted" downwardly on the Yrecker 17j for partiallyy de:-.l

pressing the push rod element` 3 5 -and lconsef quently partially depressing,tlie malel clutchmember 27, as shown in,A Figure- 1, Y soi i as'l toi provideV a clearancebetween the.. uppenend..

ot the male clutch member andthe top wall of the cap. aswell as to -taliefup all looseness and Tplay in the, mechanism; betweenf the; cam shaft, andgvalve stem., (As will be seen, th-e springl will press downwardlyfatl its lower rollers to coact with theclutch cone 280iv the maleV clutch Ymember'27 for forcing said. member upwardly, Upward movement o-V the push rod element 35i `under the Irvurge'l of the-spring 31 Wilhof course1be limited by I Vsincethec1utch cone 2 8 of the clutch memberf' 27 will thus,ineilec`t,-provide ,for the clutch; rollers 26 an abutment limited against 11p- V .ward i movement, said 'r-ollerswill: also. c oactA withthe clutclrcup 2Ofor forcing. said cupl end onv ,the clutch'frollers 26 yandi cause, said the `engagement otr the rocker 17? with the upper end of the stem 'of the valve 141 so that downwardly and constantlyholding the cup,y

in solid engagement with the upper end of the tappet11. a 1.?la-y'y between the parts .will

ber 27, andthe socket 119 disposed over the;

instant V'such upward `thrust is transmitted to Vsaid rollers, the-Ypush rod element 35,

rocker 17, and valve 14 will beV at rest. Ac.

cordingly,y the inertia of these partsl will be suiicient to, maintain the push rod element Vstationary y'momentarily and oppose the upward thrust` or arof the tappet-withgsuicient forceto cause upwardendwise slipping of the clutch rollers with .f a coincidentupe.

.ward movement )of the clutch; cup V2 0 inde,-

pendently 0f the;'clutchv cone. The "fol-4 lower 30. is. therefore shifted upwardly. by

the rollers to, compressgthe s pring31 and', due tosthe difference inthe angularity of the clutch face 21A of thel cupfandthe faceotthe:

clutch cone, therollers ardof-course, inde;

pendently shifted upwardly v a distance greater than the independent upwardE move*-A ment'- of the clutch cup.v .Theipushrodis thus lautomatically contracted,but as the tappet continues in its' upward movementand the inertia. of the `fpush1r0d element,

rocker, andvalve is overcome, :theupward slipping of the clutchrollers isY arrestedsub begins to.v yieldato the upward movement o the tappet, iwheny said rollers wedge between the clutchv tace 21 of thecup. andthe clutch conel 28-:of the; male clutchfme'mber `2 ,7fto providea rigid connection between said cup-.andv

thea pushy rodselementrso that.the` VfllVeqSa opened.Y i C f Due to, the automatic. contraction of the pushvrodiasthevalve is opened, the opening;

tratt/1 vfipafted@t0 the valve, .willste Gar-re- .spondingly shortened. kAccordingly, lupOIl Vthe return, of the tappetidownwardlthe valve vwill seat before ltheftappet {reaches the bottoml of its throw! sojthat the push; rod' e1ement 35 will be.. relie ved ot the, downwardI pressure otherwiseexerted thereon by the valve,spring,16' V 'As a.rfesuilt,.the spring 31 will,vl as; the itapp'et"completes-itsgtdownward movement; expand for fagainshifting -the clutch rollers 26 downwardly within;y the.

clutchc'cup 2 0 and thuslitt fthepushro'delef ment Se that theirpfirts: Wllfbe -returnedfto their originali .positi-ons, while gall; floojseness-t between vvthe parts! willybe autmatically beiL permittedQto automatically expand to compensateforithe shortenedclosin-g travelof quently permitted to move into .engagement with its seat, the repeated jarring communicated from the tappet to the clutch rollers, incident to the actuation of the tappet, will cause said Vrollers to slip upwardly so that the push rod will be caused to automatically contract to compensate for the increased closing travel of the valve.

In order to eifect expansion of the mechanism at high engine speeds, it has been found desirable to make the spring 31 of considerable strength so that after the valve 14 has seated, the clutch rollers 26 may be quickly shifted downwardly for lifting the push rod element 35 before the ensuing upward move-` ment of the tappet 1,1 occurs. However, tests have shown that when the spring 3l is of considerable strength, as above indicated, the clutch rollers tend to stick or freeze between the clutch cup 20 and the clutch cone 28 of the male clutch member slightly before the push rod element 35 has been lifted to the limit of its upward movement, with the result that a slight play remains between the push rod element and the tappet as well as between the tappet and the upper end of the valve stem. Accordingly, the spring 34 is provided to push upwardly on the male clutch member for accelerating the upward movement thereof incident to each cycle of the valve and overcome the tendency of the clutch rollers to stick so that freezing of the rollers is prevented while also, the push rod element 35 is elevated to take up all looseness and play between the parts. The spring 34 will also, of course, press downwardly on the tappet l1 so that the tappet will, at all times, be maintained in contact with the coacting cam of the cam shaft. As a result, the mechanism is entirely quiet in operation. In the present instance I have shown and described the invention in connection with an overhead valve. However, I do not wish to be limited in this respect, since a-s will be appreciated, the invention is also applicable for use in connection with poppet valves as now conventionally employed upon internal combustion engines.

Having thus described the invention'what I claim is:

l. An automatic take-up device including relatively movable male and female members, wedging means shiftable for spacing said members, primary yieldable means exerting a lifting action on one of the members and tending to advance said wedging means for lifting said member, and auxiliary yieldable means disposed to exert a lifting action directly on said member for assisting in the spacing of the members.

2. An automatic take-up device including relatively movable male and female members, wedging means shiftable for spacing said members, primary yieldable means acting on said wedging means for spacing the members, and auxiliary yieldable means expanding against one of the members in the direction of spacing movement thereof for accelerating the spacing movement of such member. Y

3. An automatic take-up device, including a female clutch member, a male clutch member, wedging means interposed between said members and shiftable for 'spacing the members, primary yieldable means acting on said wedging means for spacing the members, and auxiliary yieldable means expanding against the male clutch member in the direction of spacing movement thereof for accelerating the spacing movement of the male member.

4. An automatic take-up device including a clutch cup having an inclined face, a clutch member extending into the cup and provided with an inclinedface, clutch rollers interposed between said faces to coact therewith and shiftable for spacing said member with respect to the cup, a spring acting on said rollers for spacing said member, a socket carried by the cup, and a second spring disposed in said socket to bear against said member for accelerating the spacing movement thereof.

5. An automatic take-up device including a clutch cup, a socket carried by the cup and receivable in the recess of a tappet for centering the cup with respect to the tappet, a clutch member, clutch rollers interposed between said member and the cup to coact therewith and shiftable for spacing said member with respect to the cup, said member being adapted to carry a push rod element, primary yieldable means acting on said rollers for spacing -said member with respect to the cup and elevating said rod element, and auxiliary yieldable means acting on said member for accelerating the spacing movement thereof.

6. An automatic take-up device including a clutch cup having an inclined face, a clutch member extending into the clutch cup and provided with an inclined face, clutch rollers interposed between said faces to coact therewith and shiftable for lifting said member, a spring acting on said rollers for lifting said member, and a second spring expanding upwardly against said member for exerting a lifting action thereon.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CALVIN C. WILLIAMS. [n S.] 

